This week across the country, teachers are in workshops to learn all about the new textbooks that will be introduced
to primary schools in September.
As has been widely reported, they are free and they are new, so for most of the teachers, it’s the first time they are getting to see them.
Today, the education department opened workshop doors to government friendly media to interview facilitators and
teachers about the books – but no matter how we asked the Ministry’s Public Relations officer Rafael Sosa, he couldn’t arrange it for us. And, when we went there – the lead facilitator told us she
was busy. We hope for better next week.
But from the little we’ve heard this week, teachers are not happy with some of what they’ve seen.
This is a page from the Spanish book, called Chispas. It was leaked out to us today. Incredibly, it shows belize as a part of mexico – just the bottom part of the Yucatan peninsula. And if that wasn’t enough,
throughout Chispa books 1 to 3, many, many countries are discussed, Nicaragua, Honduras, Cuba, Peru and
others, but never, not once, Belize. From what the teachers tell us, Belize’s existence is not acknowledged until book four.
We’ve also heard reports that in the social studies book – there is only one picture of Belize – and it is not a modern
picture.
Again, we would have wished for some explanation of this today – but the ministry of Education’s press officer was
unable to arrange that for us.
We hope that is forthcoming next week.
